A Gift to Remember
by Knight of L-sama
Summary: [COMPLETE?] Something's happened to Zel, but is it for the better or worse? What does Lina think about this? Read to find out. This is an LZ ficcie by request. Please R&R!
1. Part 1 Memories

A/N: Done as a request.  L/Z fic coming your way!  Please Read, Savor, and Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own anything that isn't mine to own = Don't own Slayers

All from Lina's point of view, I think.  You'll see.

**A Gift To Remember**

Part 1 - Memories

            Lina Inverse, renowned demon slayer, dragon spooker, and bandit killer, stood in the doorway, alone.  She looked out into the large hall, with its polished wooden floor, ceiling-to-floor windows, and numerous dancers on the floor, and sighed.  Soft, romantic music was playing in the background; the dancing couples were desirably close to their partners.  It was the Crown Princess' First Annual Ball as ruler of Seyruun – a grand celebration indeed.  The buffet table was layered with so much food, that not one inch of the white cloth could be seen on its surface.  But Lina didn't care for it at all.

            As Lina slowly walked towards the crown princess Amelia, to give her warmest regards that she could muster at the moment, she turned a few heads of those who had no dates.  It was no surprise, since the beautifully petite redheaded woman was wearing a spaghetti strap, open back, red satin dress, in combination with a double-decked pearl necklace and matching earrings.  Her red leather pumps made a resounding tap on the floor as she glided across it without the slightest effort.

            When Amelia, her old friend from long ago, saw her, she gasped and began to giggle with excitement.  Lina stopped before her, and gave her a wary smile.  Amelia gushed before she noticed it.  "Lina-san!  You look so pretty in that dress!  It fits you well!"  Amelia hugged Lina as she added, "It's good to see you again."

            Looking behind her friend's shoulder, Amelia asked, "So where is Gourry-san?  At the buffet?"

            A quiet "No…" was all the response that Lina gave.  Amelia cocked her head to one side and looked at Lina questioningly.  Somewhere in that time, she must have caught the look in Lina's eyes, because she said, "Well, I'm sure he's fine, wherever he is.  He can take care of himself.  Have you eaten yet, Lina-san?"

            The near-legendary sorceress shook her head, still sullen.  Amelia tried to smile as she suggested that they start eating, since she hadn't eaten anything that night yet either.  Lina slowly nodded, and followed Amelia to the royal table, a buffet all its own.  There, Lina picked at her food, while her mind wandered, wandered to the reason why she was so uncharacteristically quiet now.

            It was a nice, pleasantly serene night, just barely an hour after sunset.  Lina had been traveling through the forest, on her way to see Amelia again, when she was ambushed by a band of bandits.  They said their usual macho threats, then Lina fireballed them to a crisp.  At least, she would have, if her period had not chosen to start that day.  When her fireball failed, the bandits became increasingly more courageous, and began closing in on her.  She knew she could beat them up any time of day, so she did.  Again, she would have, but she suddenly found herself in ropes, pulled at all directions by nameless men in rags.  She struggled against her sudden bonds, but knew that she was caught, without the aid of her magic.

            The apparent leader slinked up to her and tilted her head up with his forefinger and thumb.  Lina tried to pull away from the horrendous stench that accompanied him, but his grip was as fierce as Lina's mental defiance.  His breath was horrible as well, which Lina learned upon his sly questioning.  "Well, well, well.  Now _what_ do we's got _here_?  Could it be?  Yesh, I think it is.  _Lina Inverse_, am I right?"

            She rebelliously spat back, "So what if I am?"

            He laughed harshly in her face, bringing the uncomfortable odor of rotten cheese and raw meat through her nostrils.  On instinct, they flared up with distaste, but there was nothing Lina could do, but continue to seem defiant.

            "What luck!  Who would have thought that we'd catch the all-mighty Bandit Killer Lina Inverse!  Without a scratch to boot!  You _do_ know that there's a bandit's bounty award for capturing you, dead or alive, right?  Ain't that the truth boys?"

            The other bandits roared in affirmation.  Nodding, the leader turned back to Lina and sneered, "And it's mighty fine too.  The treasure of all treasures, it is.  The biggest bandit find in the history of bandits!"

            This perked Lina's interest, and her defiance quickly melted into greedy compliance.  The leader recognized this look though, so he added with an abrupt laugh, "Don't you go thinking that _you'll_ get the treasure yourself, now missy.  No sirree, we're leavin' you on a ship bound for the new world before we go out and follow our promised map to the mother-lode.  That's the only way, it is."

            By this time, the leader had released Lina's chin, and she willingly bent it down now.  A deep chuckle rippled through her body then, a sound that made her predators' own stomachs quiver.  A red aura began to collect around her, and her laughing grew to a maniacal state.  Finally, she uttered, "You _honestly_ think you can stop me?"

            With one mighty heave, she brought her arms together in front of her, crashing two of the rope-holders into each other.  Lina then took great force in pulling them apart, so that they knocked the other two holders off balance.  As quick as a feline extends her claws, Lina pulled out her sword and slashed off the limp ropes.  She then proceeded to attack the rest of the gang with vigor.  Upon finishing, Lina looked around and survey her work; she nodded to herself in approval.

            Suddenly, the leader popped up behind her like a zombie and put a knife to her neck.  "Now see here, girly.  We're gettin' that treasure whether I have to kill you or not.  Now be good and I'll use this knife."

            The next part happened so fast, it seemed like a blur.  Lina threw the man over her head, but with a severe consequence.  His knife was in a bad position for it, and Lina unintentionally allowed him to slit her throat.  The next thing the bandit leader knew, he had been slain, but with a more dignified blade.  Lina saw a somewhat familiar shadow bend over her, before she blanked out.

            A warm glow filled her heart soon after she blanked out.  Lina basked it in, loving the comforting feeling.  But eventually, she saw the light, and went towards it.  The first sound she heard was a concerned voice.  "Lina, are you okay?"

            Unfortunately, the normal-toned sound was too much for her at that moment, and she could only groan in response.  After collecting herself, Lina mumbled something incoherently.  After coming to notice that her overseer would not be able to understand that, she cleared her throat and muttered, "I'll be okay.  My vision's blurry – who are you?"

            There was a long period of silence, in which Lina's senses started to recover, before the person quietly responded, "…it's Zel..gadis."

            At that, Lina snapped her eyes open and forced them to focus on the figure in front of her.  As two figures became one, she furrowed her brows.  The person before, indeed, seemed like Zelgadis, but there was something different about him…

            "Ah!  You found your cure?!"

            He jumped at the sound of her exclamation, but slowly nodded.  Lina struggled to sit up, and rubbed her eyes briefly before refocusing.  Zelgadis now had soft, dark brown hair, and a nice, healthy human hue to his skin.  He wore less conservative clothes, but not by much; he wore a long-sleeved auburn tunic with gold trimmings, along with a pair of loose black pants held up by a dark blue drawstring.  Finally, he wore a black-exterior, red-interior cape which could sufficiently hide his sword that hung at his side.

            Remembering the stories Luna used to tell her when she was little, Lina remarked with a soft laugh, "You resemble a vampire, Zel."  Zel grinned slightly, and revealed one visibly larger fang.  At the distraught look on her face, Zel quickly assured, "Don't worry.  I'm no vampire."  In an undertone, he added, "I've been reduced to something far worse."

            Lina heard it, but pretended not to.  "So, where'd you get that get-up anyway?"  There was a sufficient pause before Zel quietly answered, "…Home…"

            Lina took a deep breath and exhaled before she asked her question, with closed eyes.  "So how'd I get here?"

            She heard a scuffling of a chair as Zel drew one up from the desk and sat upon it.  "Quite simply, I was passing by, when I sensed that you were nearby and in trouble.  As I arrived at the scene, you were being occupied with a knife to your throat.  Before I could do anything, you launched him over your head, and slashed yourself in the process.  I quickly demolished him before I cast a healing spell on you.  Once that was done, I brought you to the nearest town.  Only one night has passed since then; it is morning.  That's about all there is to tell."

            The bed-stricken girl laughed again softly as she remarked, "You talk just as fast as I normally do."

            This notion stopped Zel, and he was again silent and monosyllabic.  However, he _did_ ask one question first.  "Where were you headed?"

            Lina sighed.  "Amelia's ball.  She gave me an invitation a few weeks back.  Did you get one?"

            "…No, I couldn't have."

            "Why not?"  Lina yawned tiredly.

            "I was overseas until a few days ago.  I think you should get some more sleep."

            Opening her eyes again, Lina whined, "But I'm hungry…"

            A tray of food was immediately present under her nose.  "Enjoy.  I'll be downstairs."

            She mumbled a 'thanks' as she heard the door close.  As Lina started on her meal, the first thought that came into her head was, 'Zel sure took me by surprise.  I had no idea he had found his cure yet.  He looks really nice like that.  Well, maybe not nice…more like, handsome.  Yes, like a prince from a far-off country…the prince of my dreams…'  Lina stopped her thoughts abruptly.  'What am I thinking?!  Zel's just a friend! . . . I wish he was more . . . I've been feeling so lonely lately. . . especially since Gourry was retrieved to return home in order to explain about the Sword of Light "disappearing".  That was three years ago.  Three lonely years of solitude.  After what happened yesterday, maybe I do need a protector.  Somebody to protect me during that one week every month…Ha, but who would agree to protect the Dragon Spooker Lina Inverse?

'To people good and bad, she was deemed as evil.  Evil to the Mazoku because she slew so many of their leaders and minorities, evil to Ryuzoku because she contracted with the Lord of Nightmares and was responsible for destroying their world almost four times.  Rezo + Shabrinigdo, Copy Rezo + Zannafar, Phibrizzo + L-sama, and then Darkstar + Valgaav.  One of each team-up had not wished the destruction of the world, but they still got very close.  Come to think of it, Ryuzoku should have no reason to dislike her, as she had saved their race in more ways than one.  Ah well, how did I get to think about this anyway?  Ah yes, Zelgadis!  Be my protector!'

As Lina fell into a deep sleep, a darker shadow leered at her from the corner of the room.  A pearly smirk graced its features.  "You're mine, Lina."

"Lina?  Lina are you okay?"

Lina broke out of her trance and returned to the present.  Amelia was right next to her, staring at her with worried eyes.  The older girl smiled at her, and nodded.  "Sorry, I spaced out for a moment.  Let's eat!"

At that same instant, the same shadow that haunted her memory, stepped into the light of the ballroom, and headed towards the adventurous girls.

A/N:  Oh dear, I planned to make this one short song fic, but I suppose I haven't reached that level yet.  Heh, kind of ironic in a way.  Most people I know have trouble lengthening their stories, but I have trouble shortening it.  Oh well, I hope when I'm finished, you'll still be able to read it all in one sitting.  Review, though, or I might forget to finish it! (Huge testing schedule for the next two weeks may make me to mind-stricken to write for fun, so encourage me!)  Thx for reading!  Ciao!


	2. Part 2 The Present

A/N: You reviewed so quickly! I is appeased - Here's the next chapter! Oh, notice that I **rose**** the rating for my story to PG-13**. I probably don't need to, but I'm doing it just in case 

Disclaimer: You know, the whole concept of this is ludicrous. If any of us actually had anything to _do_ with creating or owning Slayers, why on Earth would we resort to FANfiction? Bakas, whoever made up this dumb rule. Fine: **I don't own Slayers**. Happy? HMPH!

**A Gift to Remember**

Part 2 – The Present

Almost instantly, Lina felt a pair of piercing eyes sending chills down her back with steadily increasing proximity. Slowly, she turned her head, to see who it was. The instant she did, she sat gaping, shell-shocked like no turtle could ever be. After the shock wore off in about a minute's time, fear began to seep through. Unable to fight the urge, Lina was brought to such a level of fear, that she _whimpered_, an act never thought possible coming from Lina. But still, the source of her fear approached closer, and closer, until…

"You're late, Lina-chan." The figure, covered in a dark purple cloak, visibly smirked as it stood before the young sorceress. Lina gulped, unable to speak.

Amelia noticed the traveler a while back, and greeted the person cordially. "Welcome to my party. Pray tell, you have enjoyed yourself tonight, yes?"

The person turned towards her, and inclined its head briefly. Turning back to Lina, it answered, "I will now. Come, Lina-chan. I must speak with you in private."

If it were possible, Lina froze up even more at that. Fear, Anxiety, and Reluctance churned inside her, her eyes openly revealing those emotions. The figure smirked again, and held out a ghostly pale hand, revealing a curious blue design, not unlike an intricate dragon tattoo.

Lina forced herself to look down at her lap, to escape the look that promised severe discomfort for her in the near future. She shuddered at the thought of what might happen if she was allowed to be taken away by… by _her_. Clenching and relaxing her fists constantly, Lina was sweating with nervous concentration. Amelia and the newcomer watched as slowly, Lina began to shake her head. As it became fiercer in defiance, Lina spoke with a slightly wavering voice, "I won't. I- I don't want to leave here. Pl-please don't make me go."

This seemed to frustrate the hooded figure, and she spoke sternly now after grabbing hold of Lina's closest wrist. "That's enough. You're coming back with me whether you like it or not. It's…for your own good."

Seeing Lina's wavering defense start to break down, Amelia quickly asked the stranger, "Umm, if it's not too much trouble, can I go as well? If Lina must go, I wish to stay by her side. She _is _one of my closest friends, you know."

With a quick jerk, the stranger fixed an increasingly dangerous glare towards her. Almost seething, she replied, "No. Absolutely not. When she gets home, Lina-chan is to be quarantined immediately. I cannot risk the safety of the next ruler of Seyruun. Now if you'll excuse us…"

Amelia was beyond startled. She glanced between a guilty looking Lina and a frustrated, mysterious stranger. "Wait a moment. Quarantined? Whatever for? And who exactly are you, to speak of Lina going home, such as you did?"

The stranger sighed, and in one sweep raised her cape enough to envelop Lina in it as well. Amelia caught the slightest glimpse of a white-over-purple waitress uniform before the pair disappeared. As Amelia stared at the place they had previously been, she uttered the name, "As the rumors say, 'the Waitress of Doom'. Lina's older sister, Luna Inverse, Knight of Celphieed."

Lina winced as she was thrown into a cold, bare room. She felt her back crack uncomfortably upon making contact with the stone room. The door from which she was forced to enter soon closed, after an eerie spell of prolonging creaks. As soon as the door's lock clicked, Luna's voice rang true. "Now then, Lina-chan. Something tells me that you haven't been completely honest about what happened to you during the last week. Now will you tell me willingly, or will I have to _force_ you too?"

Surprisingly, in the privacy of her own home, Lina started to fight back tears. "Onee-chan, you know I'd tell you anything if I could, but this…this thing I kept from you, it's too humiliating for me to talk about."

At that, Luna's expression seemed to soften… slightly. She slowly walked towards her younger sister, and bent down to eye level with her, placing a hand on her shoulder. "I know I shouldn't need to ask, but would you rather I do a little mind reading to find out? I know something's been different about you lately; something happened the night before yesterday's, I'm just not positive as to what it is."

Lina slowly nodded, sniffing miserably. Taking that as a consent, Luna moved her tattooed hand from Lina's shoulder to the top of her head. She whispered a spell that channeled to her hand, making her "tattoo" glow a luminescent blue on par with the Sword of Light. In a great flash of light, Luna traveled to visit Lina's subconscious realm within her mind.

Insert Memories and then some here

Within a sixth of an hour, Luna and Lina returned to reality. Relieving Lina's head of her hand, Luna could only stare at her younger sister. She hung back a bit hesitantly before embracing her sister in a sudden bear hug, revealing a softer side to the destined knight. She whispered in Lina's ear, "Gomen ne, Lina-chan. I really do feel sorry about what happened. If I had been there, or if you had been within my calling, I would have stopped it, without a doubt. I know I've made you have a rough childhood, but I wanted you to be able to and want to live a carefree and independent life. You understand what I'm saying, don't you?"

Lina sniffed again as she hugged her sister back. She mumbled a childish whimper of an affirmation. They sat like that for a few moments more, before Luna finally whispered, "Tell me who did it. Tell me who the sinful ingrate is."

The younger sister was quiet again, save for occasional sniffs. Softly, she uttered, "Zelgadis. I don't want you to hurt him, but it was Zelgadis."

Both sisters knew that Luna's body had gone rigid at the thought. Loosening her muscles back up a little, she hissed, "That once-chimera boy did it? Your long since best friend? How could I possibly _not_ harm him? I removed his golem-part for his word that he'd live his life in peace, and help those who needed it, but…I never suspected that he'd do something like this…"

Lina's voice squeaked as she defended him. "It's- It's not his fault. He…was being controlled, I just know it. He'd never do anything like that if he were his normal self.

Luna sighed and patted Lina's back. "Lina, Lina, Lina-chan. Did you not realize it while you were traveling with him? Because of his selfish quest, he concentrated only on that, ignoring his past instincts. But after freeing him from what he hated most, his 'grotesque looks' as he put it, his primitive instincts returned, and he…took advantage of it…of you."

For another long period, Lina was quiet. "What if…what if I…um…allowed him to? It wouldn't be…be 'wrong', would it?"

"…wrong is wrong no matter what the context – especially if it concerns my dear little sister, my only real family in this world."

Finding no easy response to that, Lina sat in silence. Suddenly, Luna broke the silence by declaring, "I'm doing a test on you now; don't move." Unlike before, Lina was more than willing to comply, despite her restless feeling of becoming tired. As she felt Luna's aura surround her, she became aware of the warmth of her embrace enveloping her body and soul. It comforted her through and through, and before she knew it, she had blanked out.

Upon awakening again, Lina found herself in a familiar room. She stared, dumbfounded, recognizing the room as the one she had never been allowed in before, but had always snuck into – _Luna's room_. Thinking of her older sister, Lina scanned the area around the lavender bed, and found that she was nowhere to be seen. During her scan, she noted that the sun was shining high above outside the open window. She slowly eased out from under the covers, and stretched with a big yawn. During the downwind, she caught sight of a huge tray of food on the night table.

Lina glanced around nervously. Luna _never_ allowed food inside the house, outside of the kitchen. Was this a trap to test her wills? Would she be punished for succumbing to it? When her stomach growled in wanting, Lina gave up resisting and chowed down. Explanations later, punishment later, food _now_. After taking the first bite out of her scrambled eggs, Lina realized that Luna had personally homemade this meal for her.

Touched and slightly reminiscent, Lina slowed down drastically to savor each bite. Although it was early morning when she started, the sun was high above by the time she finished, but she had no regrets. More out of habit than anything else, Lina opened the door and went to their professional chef's kitchen to wash her dishes in the intended tub. After neatly setting them down to dry, Lina walked to the front door, to take a breather, and saw a note attached to it in Luna's 'reminder' paper notes. The short note read: Going out for a few days. Do _not_ leave town until I come back. I've cast a force field around the town so that no evil beings will visit you. Go and catch up with old friends. Lina sighed, and like she always had before, she took a nearby pen and wrote "Ok" next to Luna's signature, saying that she had seen it. Lina went back to her own room, and looked around.

Upon opening her bedroom door, Lina felt like she was bowled over by a tsunami of nostalgic memories. She hadn't used her room since she was what? Ten years old? Her furniture was stacked rather neatly (via Luna) behind quite a few stuffed animals, most of which were dragons. Her bed, to Lina's chagrin, still fit her quite well, though her feet were closer to the foot of the bed than she had last remembered it.

Sliding off her bed with a sigh, she decided to see if anything in her closet still fit her. She almost burst out laughing hysterically when she saw that the biggest clothes there were fit for that of a seven-year-old, and would no longer fit her. In fact, she did, after finding that she could not hold it in. She was laughing so hard the first few minutes, that she did not hear the doorbell for quite some time. Finally when she calmed down long enough for the person at the door to ring it three times in succession, she heard it. Taking long, calming breaths, Lina walked to the front door to see who it was.

From behind the door, Lina called out, "Who's there?"

A quaint little voice of a man replied, "It's Marv the Mailman. Got a package for you to sign."

Lina peered through a nearby window and found that she recognized the young mailman. Quickly, she opened the door and warmly greeted, "Marv! Long time no see! How did _you_ ever get to be a mailman?"

The young man, close in age to Lina, blinked at her for a few minutes before verifying, "Lina? Lina, is that really you? It _is_, isn't it? My, I haven't seen you in just about forever!" Marv gave her a quick look-down (I don't know if that's the proper phrase…) and remarked with an assuring nod, "Ten years have passed and you still look as cute as ever. A more mature sort of cute, but cute nonetheless."

Lina blushed a little at the comment and said back with a smirk, "And I see you still haven't mastered that impish messy hair of yours. It's as carefree as a house inside a tornado."

They stood in a short, comfortable silence before Marv remembered why he was there. He held out a brown package to Lina, and asked that she sign it. Lina complied and took the package. Just as she was about to shake it, Marv warned her to be careful, as the sender sent an urgent note that it was to be handled with the utmost care as it was very fragile. Lina nodded and carefully set it on the dining room table. When she came back to close the door, she found that Marv was still there.

He was blushing and stammering as he slowly got out, "Um, s-since you've been gone so long…you mind having l-lunch w-with m-me after my shift's over?"

Lina grinned and replied with a childish, "Sure!" Before adding, "What time is your shift over?"

Marv brightened up considerably at her acceptance, and fumbled to say that his rounds should end around high noontime. Lina nodded at this and told him that she would pick out some new clothes to wear, as she needed some better-fitting casual outfits. Marv nodded and waved shortly, before going back onto his horse and traveling to the next house he was due to deliver to.

Lina did exactly what she said she would. After taking a shower and brushing her teeth and hair and all those other morning duties, Lina set out for town. She decided to explore it while she sought out both suitable restaurants _and_ tailors. Eventually, she found a tailor she liked, and went in. There, she recognized quite a few faces of her childhood friends; in turn, they recognized _her_ as well. They all talked mindless chit-chat, inviting Lina to butt in whenever she liked, but Lina only smiled, and continued to look over the material while imagining what she wanted to wear. Not sure how long she would be staying here, Lina decided to buy a pre-made outfit first. After seeing her struggle for something that would look good on her, her now fashion-expert friends chose a combination of red and black that showed off all of the right places, while still covering her in her usual modesty. Lina approved of it greatly, and thanked her friends before paying for it. The hefty price that she paid would be circulated around and greatly appreciated by the townsfolk. At the door, Lina split from her friends, saying that she was going to look for a good restaurant.

While strolling down the lane with her new clothes, she realized with a feeling of previous stupidity, that she should just go to Luna's restaurant. She may not be there, but Lina still wanted to see how well off it was. Memories of being forced to work there day after day in her childhood, Lina knew all to well where it was located.

Passing through the swinging door, Lina looked around as a bell sounded her arrival. A woman slightly older than Lina greeted her and verified that she would like a table for one in a corner. Soon after the menu was given to her, Lina made her order. During her fifteenth plate, a rushed Marv came in, spotted her, and rushed quickly over. He bowed several times apologetically before Lina told him to sit down. He complied, but blinked rapidly in astonishment at the rate that the food was leaving the table. Slowly, he asked how long Lina had been here. She shrugged in response, saying that she had ordered everything off the menu. Marv's eyes bugged out at that. He repeated Lina's last words with dumbfounded bewilderment. Lina smirked at his reaction, and said that he could start eating if he wanted. If there were leftovers afterwards, Lina would simply bring it home. When Lina heard him mumbling the calculations of how much this would cost, she smiled at him and told him that he need not worry – she had already paid for it. Reluctantly, Marv nodded and began to eat, increasing in vigor as he went on.

After the dishes were cleared, they finally got around to talking. Lina told of how she had started out alone, honing her skills, on bandits and thus receiving the nickname of Bandit Killer. Through her travels, the names just kept being added on, with most having very little truth to them, and twisted at that. She then briefly told about her adventures with the Princess of Seyruun (both of them at one point or another), the wielder of the Sword of Light, and…a chimera, cursed by his own grandfather who held a piece of Shabrinigdo in his blind eyes.

Marv had stayed in Zephilia all his life, and marveled at Lina's accounts of her adventures. As for him, he had started working his way up by being a busboy at the restaurant they were currently at. Luna, as part-time assistant manager, eventually recommended him to a friend of hers who worked at the post office and needed someone with fast legs to make deliveries. That's how he got to be in the line of work he was in.

When their stories came to a pause, Marv looked at the clock and jumped up. Hurriedly, he explained that he was due back at the post office very soon, and he had to leave now. Lina understood, and told him that she hoped to see him later. Marv nodded and ran out the door. As Lina watched him leave, she almost choked on her tea as she noticed a very familiar man walk through the doors, and lock eyes with her.

A/N: Hope you don't hate me for portraying Zel kinda badly in this chapter. Well, maybe not 'portraying', just 'suggesting'. Hehe, I'm like that sometimes… Just as a warning for the future, I never said this was going to be a happy story – I was only asked to write _a_ Lina/Zel fic. Hehe…

Darn it…I really really really want to make a one–shot / one-chap story, but my plots are always too complex. Well, if you read really quickly after I finish this story, you might be able to finish it in one sitting. sigh but it just won't be the same T-T Please review and make me feel better . Please?


	3. Part 3 For the Future

A/N: I wanted to get an early start on this, so I'd have it in advance while I worked on other things. Here's my next chapter. For the sake of my one and only original story, I sincerely hope I can keep this short, with a large amount of reviews.

Disclaimer: I don't own Slayers, I just wish I did.

**A Gift to Remember**

Part 3- For the Future

The man smiled, and walked over. Lina sat rigid in her seat, but managed to slowly set her cup down and wipe her mouth. All the while, she watched him with a slightly fearful, but mainly inquisitive, stare. Without asking, he took Marv's seat, and propped his elbows on the table. Resting his chin on the palm of one of his hands, he gave Lina a dazed look as he greeted, "It's been a while, Lina-chan."

Lina winced at the pet name, and tried to turn away, but couldn't. Instead, she commented with a growl, "Not long enough."

He smiled, and there was a soft silence. Both pairs of ears had tuned out to the sounds of rushing, the clanging of dishes, the shouted orders – they were only focused on each other. One was rather timid, but the other seemed amused. Finally, he spoke again. "Your sister's shield was tough. It almost tickled me to death when I entered."

Lina's left eye started to twitch ever so slightly. She answered back, trying to make her voice sound bored and monotonous, "You make it sound like I would give a care in the world whether you dropped in or not."

He smirked. "Lying doesn't suit you, Lina-chan."

"Nor me nor you."

"Maybe so, but I'm allowed to."

"No one can force another person to lie."

"But I'll wager that the Knight of Celphieed could talk you into telling the truth."

"If she was your sister, she would have to you too."

"If she was _my_ sister, I wouldn't have turned out the way I have."

"That's no one's fault but your own."

"But what fun would it be to drown in self-pity?"

"I should be asking _you_ that. You're the one who had been searching the world thrice over for a cure you were half convinced didn't exist."

"Bah, those were old times. I am reborn."

"Reborn or not, you've definitely changed."

"Oh? How so?"

"I shouldn't tell you." Lina paused, before adding, "But you're starting to act like Xellos."

He smirked again. Amused, he commented, "Is that for the better or for worse?"

Lina shrugged. "Take your pick. I need to go, now. If you have nothing important to say, then I'm leaving."

She stood up, and walked by him on her way to the door. He stopped her by grabbing hold of her wrist and yanking her onto his lap effortlessly. Startled, Lina let out a small yelp and looked up at him. Before she could stop him, or do much of anything, he pulled his head down for a bruising kiss. Without thinking, Lina soon parted her lips, which was all the invitation he needed to enter her mouth, fiercely marking it his with his tongue. Caught up in the moment, Lina was practically paralyzed. When she finally started to kiss back though, he stopped, and withdrew his mouth and tongue. He looked into her eyes as she slowly opened them again, and licked his lips hungrily. With a husky "I'll see you soon, Lina-chan", he disappeared from sight.

Lina plopped softly onto his chair, warm with body heat. Her hand absently went to her heart, trying to steady it along with her breath. When it hit her what had happened, she softly brushed her hand over her lips, and smiled longingly up at the ceiling. Half to herself, she called after him, "Come back. Come back and stop toying with me."

When she found it obvious that she would receive no response, she sighed, and stood up. Lina left a tip at the table before stalking out slowly. Walking down the cobblestone road, she murmured, "For five years, I thought I knew him, and in an instant, he changed forever. Who knew that Luna's powers could be used for such evil? Did she realize it would be bad when she did it? He's still the same polite, powerful, near unemotional person he was before, but now there's just one, no, two differences. He's a human-monster and his emotions are haywire whenever I'm near." Lina sighed again. After a long silence in which her thoughts were jumbled, she murmured, "I guess that's what I get…for falling for a monster."

As she walked, ignoring the townspeople, she continued to think about him. Monster sounded too cruel to describe him, but in a way, it was partly true. He was a sexual monster, but was otherwise a decent human. He had wanted to cure his appearance, because he deemed it unsatisfactory. Lina had always thought him quite dashing, in an anti-social kind of way. But after his golem part was extracted, the rocks gave way to a beautiful, truly beautiful, human man. Strengthened by years of travel, his muscles were nicely toned. He could still wield magic quite well, since his transformation had hurried his learning process. There was just that one problem – without the golem part, he was half human, and half demon.

A half demon with no master had a lot of power, but no one to control him. Besides, who needed a half-blood these days anyway? Pure-bloods had more power, and could destroy so much more with it. Lina's hanyou had a special place in her heart though. He had been lodged there ever since she had first seen him in his half-mazoku state. She knew she loved him, but she wasn't sure why. Lina wasn't even sure if she _needed_ a reason. Didn't love withstand all? Only if the feeling's mutual, Lina told herself bitterly. She didn't know how he felt. By the way he acted, compared to how most mazoku act, his demon side was most likely corrupting his modest mentality.

No. That wouldn't happen. Lina looked forward with great determination. I _will_ make sure of that. No matter what it takes, Zelgadis Greywards will not be changed for the worse. Not while I'm still alive. With those thoughts, Lina power-walked back to her home, went to her desk, and began scheming up a devious plot.

The first two hours were a moot point, considering how Lina kept dismissing possibilities for a variety of reasons. However, when she finally came up with the perfect plan, in her own mind, she quickly scribbled down the notes as she thought them, lest she forget. When the moon was high, she had finally finished, and promptly fell asleep at the desk.

In a midnight abyss, Lina found herself alone. All alone in the vast reaches of space. Before loneliness could really sink in, she saw something appear in the distance. Hurriedly, she tried to run towards it, but the air was thwarted. She discovered that she had to literally _swim_ through the air to move. As she approached the object, it grew bigger and brighter. She sped until it was large enough to recognize as…her love. But when she reached out to touch it, it vanished without a trace. Lina hovered there for a few moments, silence reigning easily. Finally, she bent her head toward the air above, locked her arms, and cried out in anguish. Even if it was a dream, she needed to vent out her frustrations in a way that toasting bandits would not work. And so, she woke up with a fierce jolt, still crying pained tears, shuddering from sobs, and curled into an even tighter ball. In a few hours, the crying subsided back into the lumbers of sleep.

Near midnight, a special someone paid Lina a visit. It was _him_ again. He, who haunted Lina's thoughts, presence, and dreams. Seeing Lina's sleeping form, he smiled and stepped towards her. Just as he was nearing her though, she fell sideways in her chair, and met the ground head first. Zelgadis relished in her annoyance and slight pain as she rubbed her head ruefully afterwards. Taking that final step forward, he held out his hand and asked if she needed some help. Glaring at him, Lina slapped the hand away and got up by hoisting her body weight on the desk surface. With a tired snarl, she asked, "What do _you_ want?"

He let out a few sinister chuckles before replying, "What do I _want_? I want…you."

Lina gave him a small, hopeless sigh. In a low voice, she pointed out, "It's a bit late for a comment like _that_, don't you think?"

In a second, Lina was enveloped by his arms, and his face was inches from hers. Lina's breath snagged in her throat as he remarked, "Of course I think, but that doesn't change the fact that it's true."

Deciding to put her plan into play, Lina began her first phase. In her sweetest, honey-soaked, playfully desirable voice, she said, "If you mean what you say, you're going to have to act a lot nicer to me you know." Her hands slipped around his waist and were enticingly fingering a rhythmic pattern on his back, unshielded by his thick cape. He smirked, and pondered aloud, "Is that so?" before taking Lina up in a breathtaking kiss. This time, Lina was ready, she completed the hand formations needed on his back, to render him paralyzed. Lina felt his whole body freeze, including his roving tongue. Lina ended the kiss with a small peck and smiled up at the live statue. She had to act quickly.

Taking a deep breath, Lina formed a special Flow Break, completely experimental, that she had put together that very night. Once her hands began to glow a bright white, she rested them on his cheeks, and went on tippy-toes to give him her own kiss. As if a string had been snipped, the paralysis broke, but he was still very lifeless. Lina stepped back to diagnosis any changes, but nothing happened. But then, the monster was unleashed.

He thrashed and shook wildly while clutching at his temples. He screamed out in agony, in anguish, in confusion. In a matter of minutes that it took to creep up on Lina, he turned on her, with fierce demon-red eyes. He lunged for her, narrowly missing. Lina put up a barrier spell around her; he lunged again and was shocked by the shield. Like a savage wolf outcast, he howled and broke through the glass of the window, into the street. That's when Lina realized that it had gone out of control. As to not destroy or even awaken her hometown, Lina jumped through the window and quickly cast a Van Reil, which quickly froze him in place. Lina ran closer, and used a Dynast Brass on him. Incased in ice, he had nowhere to run, and he lay frozen on the spot, or so Lina thought.

Wearily, Lina approached him, and crouched down next to him. She whispered softly, "Don't worry. I'll get you back to your old self. No more pain, or trouble."

Lina yelped when his hand lashed out like a whip and grabbed hold of her wrist. Fang revealed, eyebrows furrowed in anger, he snarled, "Are you aware, that this is a case of the cure being more painful than the disease? I doubt I want to change back anyway."

It was then, that Lina resorted to pleading. "Oh, Zel, you know you can't live forever like this-"

He interrupted, "Can't I? I _am_ part-mazoku; I can have immortality in this form."

"Why would you want to?" Tears were beginning to stream down Lina's cheek. "Why would you want to live through endless wars, endless lives, until the very sight of anything makes you sick? Don't you see? It's better to just become one hundred percent human."

He scoffed and turned his head away. He coughed before replying with a hint of irony, "To think, when we were traveling together, with that lamebrain protector of yours, and that klutz of a princess, I seem to remember you saying that you didn't care about my other parts, but you liked me for who I was then. Are you going back on what you said?"

Lina was silent for a few moments before she answered, "I think _Amelia_ said that. I understand that it must have been hard for you to cope with…with everything, but I admired you because you held yourself together throughout it all."

He scoffed again, and a spurt of metallic blood came out of his mouth. His hold on her wrist loosened as he muttered, "Hardly. There's no way that you could understand what I go through."

She raised an eyebrow, but smiled softly at his slow but sure change. She began to speak softly again. "Maybe you're right, but it still doesn't change the fact that you could do without your demon half."

"No I couldn't. There's something you don't know about me…"

Lina instantly pounced on the subject. "What? What is it?"

"It's- Augh!" Suddenly, he shut his eyes and started to thrash like before, but now Lina could see the difference. An evil, evil shadow was emitted from his body, and Lina immediately shattered it with an Elmekia Lance. This caused him to thrash even worse than before; one stray thrust knocked Lina back straight into the fountain post, knocking her unconscious upon the water. In a matter of minutes, he, too, was still. His extravagant clothing blinked, and disappeared, replaced by a simple dark blue tunic, and beige pants. His hair was a plump brown; his hands were callused with years of hard work; and his shoes were worn thin by heavy traveling. The _true_ Zelgadis Greywerds had returned, after ten years of change.

Lina woke up with a start and instantly sat up, which was a bad idea, considering it called upon an immediate head rush, combine with a previous headache. As Lina groaned, she heard shuffling nearby. Still clutching her head with one hand, she looked around. It was obvious where she was – the only "hospital" in Zephilia, home of her second-cousin's niece's husband's brother's wife's, twice removed, sister. Lina had a big family, to say the least.

"Are you awake now?" Lina turned to the voice, slower than necessary to prevent further injury. Marv was sitting in a chair, covered partially by a thread-bare blanket. Lina could take a very educated guess, but she asked anyway. "How did I get here?"

Marv smiled at her, but blushed slightly as he rubbed the back of his head. "Well, to tell you the truth, Luna came home early, saying she had a bad feeling that something happened, and well, she found you and this other guy in front of your house, sort of, and she teleported you both here. I was just about to do it, too, since I was coming home from a meeting I had fallen asleep in. The guy's in the next room, but I dunno if you want to see him though; he was lookin' a little sick when we brought 'im in."

Lina was up and out of the door in an instant. Just as she was about to open the door next to hers, it opened, and Luna stepped out. When a flushed Lina tried to squeeze through or at least sneak a peek, Luna would have nothing of it. In a dead serious voice, she informed, "He is no more. He perished in the night. It would do no good to mourn, for it is necessary to move on. Let's go home; we have some repairs to do. Before Lina could protest, she was turned and forced to march out. As she passed her door again, she said 'bye' to Marv. At home, she was in for a surprise.

She had just finished repairing the fountain and the window. She rested on the living room couch, breathless. The bell ominously rang. With a groan, Lina stood up and answered it. She was surprised beyond words, when she saw _Zelgadis_ in the doorway with a soft smile; he was human- full human. Without a word, he held out a letter, in his hand. Questioningly, Lina took it, and opened it carefully there and then. It read:

_Dearest, Dearest Love of My Life,_

_ It does me a bountiful amount of good, to know that an angel like you has taken such extreme measures to ensure my well-being. I am very thankful, for you, and all that you have done for me. Last night, will forever remain in my heart, as will every little detail that I ever learned about you._

_ You may have heard from your older sister, Luna, that I have, by the time you would have received this, perished. Do not fret, you are young yet. You will find another to love, I'm sure, but I hope I will keep a portion of your heart, as a memory. Having said that I have died, you may wonder who it is that is giving you this letter._

_ He is my copy. Luna took a portion of me, to copy in Sairaag. She can travel quite fast you know, even _I_ was surprised. Well, to cut it short, she returned with him probably a minute before he first came to your door. I hope that you can influence him as you did me, and perhaps, he will comfort you in place of me._

_ Oh, I haven't told you yet, have I? The reason for my death. You see, although your intentions were truly grand, even in my aspect, there was but one probably. You see, I never told you the reason _why_ I wanted to become strong so long ago, anyway. I was a sickly child. Born with a rare disease with no cure, not by magic or other means, I was dying a slow and painful death. The doctors recommended that constant exercise might lengthen my life, so I took up sword-fighting. I was no good at it, and I was horribly embarrassed by this. So I began to chant to myself that I wanted to be stronger.  
_

_ One day, my great-grandfather heard me, and granted my wish. At first, I was amazed and gratified by the change. There was no sign of my early death, and I was stronger than I had ever been. But being the spoiled child that I was, I soon learned to hate it; to hate my disfigurement, to hate my family, to hate myself. I killed my village because of my demon-part, you know, that's why I left to find my cure; to spare others of my self-vengeance. Well, when you extracted that final part of me, I became that sickly child again, and I perished because of it._

_ I just want you to know, I love you with all my heart and soul, and I would never in all my life nor afterlife, blame you for anything that has happened to me. I don't blame my great-grandfather either; only myself, for the wrongs that I have committed. With this, I bid you farewell, wishing you a lifetime of happiness. Live your life to the fullest, Lina Inverse._

_Love Always, in any place in time itself,_

_Zelgadis Greywerds_

_A fortunate man, healed by a fiery angel  
_

Ending A/N: I'll leave the rest up to your imagination. Aaaaahhhhhhhh……….breathes sigh of relief I'm done. I wanted to make a song fic out of this, but whatever, I'm fine with leaving it as is. Feel free to review, if you want. You can tell me what you thought of it, any changes you would have made, and if your imagination is large enough (no insult meant), I suppose, if you want, you can extend my story under your own name. If you do, just give me a little credit for starting it, and send me the link so I can read it once everything in my life blows over. I'm down to my last few weeks of school, and my teachers are cramming as many projects as possible into it. Sigh Well, Adieu. I'm going to be taking a veeeeeerryy long break off from fanfiction. Hey, I already finished seven – better stop while I'm still lucky. -

Cracks Knuckles Takes a Deep Breath Now then, only my original fiction to go! If I ever finish, I may return once more and take it up again. --" Ciao.

P.S. No epilogue or ending notes. First of all, you know all the important people in this fic; Marv isn't that important, or there's nothing much to say about him. Second, if you want to extend it, there's no reason to have an epilogue. Thanks for all your reviews for me thus far! I really appreciate it! Deep exhale Alright, final time. Farewell.


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